The specific embodiment
Embodiment 1
The constitutive characteristic of present embodiment fluid ejection apparatus is that shown in Fig. 4 d, formation one gallery 430 makes the length (Lc) of described these fluid cavitys 420 keep identical between fluid cavity 420 and the manifold 410.
Consult Fig. 4 b (generalized section) and Fig. 4 d (schematic top plan view), the formation of present embodiment fluid ejection apparatus is described, wherein Fig. 4 b is the profile of Fig. 4 d along the 4b-4b cutting line.Shown in Fig. 4 b, this fluid ejection apparatus comprises a substrate 400, a manifold 410, fluid cavity 420, passage 430, a structure sheaf 440, a resistive layer 450, a separation layer 460, a conductive layer 470, a protective layer 480, a plurality of signal transmission lines contact hole 490 and a plurality of spray orifice 495.Wherein manifold 410 is formed in the substrate 400, and fluid cavity 420 and passage 430 are formed between substrate 400 and the structure sheaf 440, and because the design of passage 430 makes the length of fluid cavity 420 all consistent, shown in Fig. 4 d.
Structure sheaf 440 is covered on substrate 400, passage 430 and the fluid cavity 420.Resistive layer 450 is arranged on the structure sheaf 440, and is positioned at spray orifice 495 both sides, and it represents a plurality of ejection actuators for example for heater, fluid is driven via jet actuator after, by spray orifice 495 ejections.Separation layer 460 is covered on substrate 400, structure sheaf 440 and the resistive layer 450, but exposed portions serve resistive layer 450, to form the heater contact hole.Conductive layer 470 is covered on the separation layer 460, and inserts the heater contact hole, as the signal transmission lines.
Protective layer 480 is covered on separation layer 460 and the conductive layer 470, and exposed portions serve conductive layer 470, is formed with a plurality of signal transmission lines contact holes 490, in order to follow-up packaging operation.A plurality of in addition spray orifices 495 pass each layer of protective layer 480, conductive layer 470, resistive layer 450 and structure sheaf 440, and are communicated with fluid cavity 420.
Then consult Fig. 4 a to Fig. 4 c, the making of the fluid ejection apparatus of one embodiment of the invention is described.At first, shown in Fig. 4 a, provide a substrate 400, a silicon base for example, the thickness of substrate 400 is substantially between 625~675 microns.Then, carry out a characterization step of present embodiment, the making of graphical substitutable layer 405 at first, forms a substitutable layer on one first 4001 of substrate 400, afterwards, with a photomask with passage and fluid cavity pattern layout, shown in Fig. 4 c, this substitutable layer is exposed, promptly form a graphical substitutable layer 405 that comprises a passage figure and a fluid cavity figure after developing, the length that wherein forms the fluid cavity figure is unanimity all.
Substitutable layer 405 is made of boron-phosphorosilicate glass (BPSG), phosphorosilicate glass (PSG) or silica material, is preferable selection with phosphorosilicate glass wherein, and the thickness of substitutable layer 405 is substantially between 1~2 micron.
Then form a patterned structures layer 440 in substrate 400, and cover graphics substitutable layer 405, structure sheaf 440 can be for by the formed silicon oxynitride layer of chemical vapour deposition technique (CVD), and the thickness of structure sheaf 440 is substantially between 1.5~2 microns.In addition, structure sheaf 440 is a low-stress material, and its stress value cardinal principle is between the tension of 100~20,000 ten thousand handkerchiefs (MPa).
Then, form a graphical resistive layer 450 on structure sheaf 440, to be heater for example as ejection actuators, fluid is driven via jet actuator after, spray by the spray orifice of follow-up making, resistive layer 450 is by HfB
2, TaAl, TaN or TiN constitute, and are preferable selection with TaAl wherein.
Form a graphical separation layer 460 again, cover substrate 400, structure sheaf 440 and resistive layer 450, and form after the heater contact hole, form a patterned conductive layer 470 on separation layer 460, and insert the heater contact hole, to form the signal transmission lines.At last, form a protective layer 480 on separation layer 460 and conductive layer 470, and form signal transmission lines contact hole 490, conductive layer 470 is exposed, in order to follow-up packaging operation.
Next, referring to Fig. 4 b, begin to carry out a series of etching, to form final fluid ejection apparatus.At first, with the wet etch method of anisotropic, etching solution for example is potassium hydroxide (KOH) solution, and graphical substitutable layer 405, forming a manifold 410, and is exposed in the back side of etching substrate 400 by promptly one second 4002.
The narrow opening width of manifold 410 is substantially between 160~200 microns, wide A/F is substantially between 1100~1200 microns, its inwall and horizontal line angle theta are roughly 54.74 degree, so the manifold 410 after the etching is a low wide and up narrow shape and structure, and manifold 410 is interconnected with a fluid accumulator tank downwards.
Then use the wet etch method of hydrofluoric acid containing (HF) solution, etched figure substitutable layer 405 afterwards, for example is the wet etch method etching substrate 400 of potassium hydroxide (KOH) solution with etching solution once again, enlarging the zone that graphical substitutable layer 405 is emptied, and form fluid cavity 420 and passage 430.Passage 430 is formed between fluid cavity 420 and the manifold 410, and because the particular design of passage 430 makes the length (Lc) of described these fluid cavitys 420 all identical, shown in Fig. 4 d.
At last, etch protection layer 480, separation layer 460 and structure sheaf 440 in regular turn, to form the spray orifice 495 that is communicated with fluid cavity 420, wherein spray orifice 495 and manifold 410 is different apart from cardinal principle.Etching is to utilize plasma etching, chemical gas etching, reactive ion etching or laser-induced thermal etching method.So far, promptly finish the making of a fluid injection apparatus.
Present embodiment utilizes the special connection configuration of manifold-passage on the photomask-fluid cavity, etch-rate faster direction compensate, and kept the uniformity of length between fluid cavity, obviously improve the phenomenon of easily disturbing adjacent fluid chamber ink-jet effect when fluid is backfilled to a certain fluid cavity.
Embodiment 2
The constitutive characteristic of present embodiment fluid ejection apparatus is, shown in Fig. 5 b, form a neck structure 525 between fluid cavity 520 and the manifold 510, make the length (Lc) of described these fluid cavitys 520 keep identical, and neck structure 525 is inwardly also kept identical with the width (Wch) of manifold 510 junctions 530, the difference of present embodiment and embodiment 1 is, the length that embodiment 1 only keeps fluid cavity 420 is identical, and present embodiment is except that all fluid cavity 520 identical length are same, the neck structure 525 that other adds, it is inwardly also all identical with the width (Wch) of manifold 510 junctions 530.
The step of the manufacturing step of present embodiment fluid ejection apparatus and embodiment 1 is identical substantially, and only the figure at graphical substitutable layer forms difference to some extent, below promptly partly explains with regard to the difference of present embodiment and embodiment 1.Forming a substitutable layer after on one first of substrate, with a photomask with neck structure and fluid cavity pattern layout, shown in Fig. 5 a, this substitutable layer is exposed, promptly form a graphical substitutable layer that comprises a neck structure figure and a fluid cavity figure after developing, the length that wherein forms the fluid cavity figure is unanimity all.
After each semiconductor layer is finished deposition step, begin to carry out a series of etching, to form final fluid ejection apparatus.Form fluid cavity 520 and neck structure 525 after the etching.Neck structure 525 is formed between fluid cavity 520 and the manifold 510, because the particular design of neck structure 525 makes the length (Lc) of described these fluid cavitys 520 all identical, neck structure 525 is inwardly also all identical with the width (Wch) of manifold 510 junctions 530 in addition, shown in Fig. 5 b.
The photomask of present embodiment manifold-neck structure-special connection configuration of fluid cavity, it is rectangular, the neck structure of long and narrow design, make fluid cavity keep a fixed dimension, and neck structure is inside and the same widths of manifold junction, also obviously improve the interference phenomenon of adjacent cavity, in addition, the appearance that has effectively slowed down the etching wedge angle because of the area that increases by 30 front end positions, interval shown in Fig. 3 b in the photomask.
Embodiment 3
The constitutive characteristic of present embodiment fluid ejection apparatus is, shown in Fig. 6 b, form a neck structure 625 between fluid cavity 620 and the manifold 610, make the length (Lc) of described these fluid cavitys 620 keep identical, and the length of neck structure 625 (Ln) is also all identical, the difference of present embodiment and embodiment 2 is that embodiment 2 does not set the length of neck structure 525, and the length (Ln) that present embodiment then designs neck structure 625 is all identical.
The step of the manufacturing step of present embodiment fluid ejection apparatus and embodiment 2 is identical substantially, and only the figure at graphical substitutable layer forms difference to some extent, below promptly partly explains with regard to the difference of present embodiment and embodiment 2.Forming a substitutable layer after on one first of substrate, with a photomask with neck structure and fluid cavity pattern layout, shown in Fig. 6 a, this substitutable layer is exposed, after developing, promptly form a graphical substitutable layer that comprises a neck structure figure and a fluid cavity figure, the length that wherein forms the fluid cavity figure is all consistent, and the length of neck structure figure is also all identical.
After each semiconductor layer is finished deposition step, begin to carry out a series of etching, to form final fluid ejection apparatus.Form fluid cavity 620 and neck structure 625 after the etching.Neck structure 625 is formed between fluid cavity 620 and the manifold 610 because the particular design of neck structure 625 makes the length (Lc) of described these fluid cavitys 620 all identical, in addition the length of neck structure 625 also keep identical, shown in Fig. 6 b.
The photomask of present embodiment manifold-neck structure-special connection configuration of fluid cavity, the design of its neck structure makes fluid cavity keep a fixed dimension, and the neck structure of this equal length, except that improving the phenomenon of disturbing, also benefits a lot of to the control flow resistance.
Embodiment 4
The constitutive characteristic of present embodiment fluid ejection apparatus is, shown in Fig. 7 b, form a neck structure 725 between fluid cavity 720 and the manifold 710, make the length (Lc) of described these fluid cavitys 720 all identical, and the length of neck structure 725 (Ln) is also all identical, and its width (Wn) increases with the distance of fluid cavity 720 away from manifold 710, the difference of present embodiment and embodiment 3 is, embodiment 3 does not set the width of neck structure 625, and the width of neck structure 725 (Wn) increases with the distance of fluid cavity 720 away from manifold 710 in the present embodiment.
The step of the manufacturing step of present embodiment fluid ejection apparatus and embodiment 3 is identical substantially, and only the figure at graphical substitutable layer forms difference to some extent, below promptly partly explains with regard to the difference of present embodiment and embodiment 3.Forming a substitutable layer after on one first of substrate, with a photomask with neck structure and fluid cavity pattern layout, shown in Fig. 7 a, this substitutable layer is exposed, after developing, promptly form a graphical substitutable layer that comprises a neck structure figure and a fluid cavity figure, the length that wherein forms the fluid cavity figure is all consistent, and the length of neck structure figure is also all identical, and the width of neck structure figure increases away from the distance that will form the manifold position future with the fluid cavity figure in addition.
After each semiconductor layer is finished deposition step, begin to carry out a series of etch process, to form final fluid ejection apparatus.Form fluid cavity 720 and neck structure 725 after the etching.Neck structure 725 is formed between fluid cavity 720 and the manifold 710, because the particular design of neck structure 725 makes the length (Lc) of described these fluid cavitys 720 all identical, and the length of neck structure 725 is also kept identical, the width of neck structure 725 increases with the distance of fluid cavity 720 away from manifold 710 in addition, Wn3>Wn2>Wn1 for example is shown in Fig. 7 b.
The photomask of present embodiment manifold-neck structure-special connection configuration of fluid cavity, the design of its neck structure makes fluid cavity keep a fixed dimension, and the change of neck structure width, accurately control the flow resistance of each fluid cavity, significantly improved the ink-jet quality of injection apparatus.
Though the present invention with preferred embodiment openly as above; yet it is not in order to limit the present invention; any those skilled in the art; without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention; certainly can do to change and retouching, so protection scope of the present invention should be with being as the criterion that claims scope is defined.